A Walk in the Moonlight
by mswriter07
Summary: When the news hit Dom - He didn't know what to do. No one could help him - he needed to sort through this on his own ... How could he without Bri? Warnings: To the Fast and Furious community, this is my take on a possible reaction by Dom to Brian's death. No intention to traumatize or anything, but it seemed to call me to write it. In remembrance of Paul. RIP.


Dom was woken out of a sound sleep by his phone ringing. He flipped it open and grumbled, "Hello."

Brian was braced in his seat upside down and he said in his most normal voice he could find, "Hey baby."

Dom sat up in his bed and wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Hey babe. Are you on your way home?"

"I just wanted to call and tell you that I love you Dom. I always will."

"I love you too Brian. I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah but for now I gotta go. I love you."

"Love you babe." Then Dom hung up before he curled back up into Brian's spot and pillow on their bed.

Brian had listened to the phone noise in his ear for a few moments before he also hung up and said a silent prayer before he tossed his phone out the window and hoped things happened quick.

The next morning as Dom was moving around his and Brian's room getting sorted for his day when he heard knocking at the door. He pulled one of his white button down shirts on and left it unbuttoned as he went into the living room of small beach house they'd settled into when they moved to Baja legally. He checked the window first and saw what looked to be local Mexican police and two Americans. He didn't know why they'd be knocking - he and Brian had been on the right side of the law since everything went down in London.

He unlocked the door but left the chain locked. He leaned against the frame with his arms crossed and asked, "What do you need?"

One of suits asked, "Can we come in for a minute?"

Dom noticed the nervous energy coming off the pair. "What happened?"

The other suit said, "It might be best if we're sitting."

"Who are you?" Dom wasn't giving an inch.

The first suit sighed and said, "I'm Lt. Nick Tanner with the LAPD and this is Special Agent Steven Penning."

"Brian will be back soon. He was on his way early this morning." Dom said resolutely.

Penning looked between Tanner and Dom and said, "Mr. Toretto if we could please come in."

Dom was gathering the seriousness of the situation and decided he owed it to Brian to be nice to what looked like his previous bosses. He unlocked the chain and opened the door for them to come inside. "Do you want any coffee?"

"Sure. Thanks." Tanner said.

"I'll take one too." Penning said.

As Dom walked to the kitchen he asked, "How do you take your coffees?"

"Black." Both men said simultaneously.

Dom had to grin a little as he thought all cop figures seemed to have that one habit in common. Dom poured them all coffee and made his coffee with cream and four sugars. When they were all settled around the coffee table with their coffees Dom asked, "Okay. I let you in, now why are you here? What's so important it can't wait on Bri?"

Neither missed the nickname or look as Dom spoke. Brian O' Conner was his compass, was his world, and it was about to collapse around him. Both men were really wanting to be in their own homes dealing with this accident - and that's what it was - an accident. Both men were prepared for Dom's temper and they shared a look to see who would share the information. Tanner decided to take it in his own hands as he'd known Brian from the start and that meant having an inkling about Dom along the way.

Nick Tanner had never given worse news and for that he sat his coffee cup on the coffee table and clasped his hands together. Dom sensing something was up placed his cup on the table too and moments later he would be thankful he did. Nick shared a look with Penning and then looked at Dom. He said as carefully as he could, only thinking of a possible violent reaction from Dom. "Mr. Toretto, I'm sorry that we're here to inform you that Brian, he won't be coming home. He was in a very bad accident and didn't make it."

Dom looked between the two and saw the grave looks and thought back to his conversation a few hours previous with Brian. Brian had told him he'd love him always - It didn't seem like a last conversation but an everyday kind of conversation. They told each other they loved each other about thirty times a day most days and while Dom had been half asleep he still thought he'd grasped the meanings behind the words that Brian said.

Dom's first response was, "No. Can't be. He's taken a detour, he likes to do that to aggravate me, to get home."

"Mr. Toretto the car he was driving was found by some miracle of God and while he survived the initial impact his injuries prevented himself from getting out of the car safely. The gas tank exploded and that's when he lost his life."

"No! He called me! He said he was on his way home!" Dom protested.

"It was an accident. We were able to recover this for you. We flipped through the contacts and you were the last person he called."

Dom's guts were twisting. It wasn't right- they were lying, they had to be. Brian and he were finally getting things right - they had had their moments but they were both happy, and Brian was coming home to him, just like he promised. This weekend was suppose to be them taking a break so that they could just be with their other halves and not letting anyone intrude upon it. So why isn't he here?

Dom looked at the phone in his hand and then up at the two suits. "Nothing on his phone is disturbed?"

"No we only looked at his last calls." Penning said as he held his hands up in peace.

Dom glared just because he could and flipped Brian's phone open. Brian had a picture of Dom as his background - they were playing around and Brian had him straddled on the ground and Dom had been laughing and smiling softly up at Brian. Dom was near the wall and was lucky it was strong enough to hold him. He slid to the floor fumbling with the phone. Tanner was the first to go to Dom and knelt next to him.

"Are you okay?"

Dom looked at Nick and thought he'd punch him but that'd mean he'd have to drop Brian's phone. The phone pinged and Dom looked down and saw a calendar note pop up. His hands started shaking as he clicked it open and saw a lengthy note scribbled in Brian's handwriting - he had abhorred the app but Brian kept it anyways - he found it comforting now. He noticed Tanner leaning towards the phone and he pulled himself tighter against the wall.

Tanner backed off and watched as Dom scrolled through the message once, twice, a few more times until Dom was shaking with sobs. Penning looked between the two and felt like he was a third wheel as he said, "Nick..."

Dom snapped, "Both of you! Outta my fucking house!"

Nick was startled seeing the emotions pouring off Dom and said, "I'll leave my card. Call if you need anything."

"Can you bring Brian back? That would be no now get out."

"We're sorry Dom," Nick said.

Dom pointed to the door and said, "Out!"

Nick squeezed Dom's shoulder and he and Penning left quickly, leaving Dom still huddled against the wall. Outside Penning asked, "Will he be okay?"

"Someone tells you your loved one isn't coming home..." Nick left the rest unsaid.

Penning's shoulders sagged and he didn't know what to say. They left the small house that didn't seem to be as sunny with the news of Brian's death and they'd have the authorities release Brian's body to Dom so he could follow Brian's wishes. The two men thought about Brian and even though he seemed to be a pain in the ass he was a good person and he would be missed by several colleagues.

Back inside, Dom was staring at Brian's phone trying to process the last ten minutes. They were trying to kill him in someway but he'd show them. He looked at Brian's message again and this time reread it with the expectation that Brian would walk through their front door soon.

_Hey baby. I think I tuckered you out, listening to your soft snores as I'm propped against the wall and your face is buried against my hip and thigh. You know all my buttons to press so I have a feeling you'll be up for round 3 when you wake up. I'd sleep too but I like watching you more. Running my fingers over your scalp and neck - time to go see Juan for your shave. Haha. I'll tell you that when you're awake. I love you Dominic Toretto. You know I can't say that enough. You're the other half of my soul. 3 U_

Dom blinked back tears and realized that as he sniffled he was holding his breath. Not a good combination while he was reading. He whispered as his fingers rested on the screen and he said, "Love you always Bri."

Brian was leaning against the opposite wall and he had a frown on his face. His old bosses had come and gone after telling his lover that he died but he was just happy his phone had survived. He liked Mexico, loved it really, but seeing Dom huddled on the floor with his phone being the only physical link they shared made Brian angry. He wanted to tell Dom he was right there but he couldn't talk to him or hold him.

He walked over to Dom and knelt beside him and saw that message he wrote a few weeks ago was opened on his phone. It was an afterthought at the time to set it to a random date and time except he didn't send it to Dom's phone like usual but set an alarm on his phone. He was just happy he threw his phone far enough out of the way it wasn't too damaged. Dom would still have all the pictures and notes between the two.

The two had stayed sitting against the wall til dark. Brian knew Dom was miserable but they didn't have anybody in Mexico to call or help Dom through this. They had a few acquaintances but everyone else was in LA and that would require Dom to move out of this house they had started to call home and go back to his old house in Echo Park. Brian didn't fancy Dom living back with his sister Mia and Vince but it was the smart move as Dom wouldn't be alone.

Dom picked himself up off the floor and he stretched his muscles back out before he went to the bathroom and when he finished he went to the kitchen with the intent to make a sandwich, cereal, something to go on his stomach. What he ended up doing was pulling out a few beers and set them at the table and went in search of their other liquor bottles - they liked just about anything with an alcohol content but he pulled out their favorite tequila. He knew they had at least a case of it in the kitchen somewhere.

He sat at the table foregoing shot glasses and salt and everything else. He opened a beer bottle, took a swig, then took in a mouthful of tequila. He could feel the burn plummet into his gut and shook himself before he repeated the process a couple of more times hoping the burn would turn into a numb feeling. He could feel a buzz happening at about the fifth swig of tequila so for him it was probably a double shot, and he felt his heart break.

Brian could only watch as Dom tried to numb himself to the pain and heartbreak of losing him.

Dom put the tequila bottle down and grabbed a couple of bottles of beer to take with him out onto the beach. He brushed passed Brian as he went outside onto the beach. He picked a direction and started walking along the water after he opened one of the bottles of Corona. He didn't care who saw him, he let his tears fall. He kicked at the sand and let his mind wander.

_The first time they met, Dom was pulling Vince off of Brian and the energy flowing between them, had surprised Dom. They danced around each other for five years. The first time they kissed was electric - they were on a beach and worked themselves to completion before they let go. He couldn't believe the five years the two lost as they were just getting a handle on what they wanted out of life and that was each other - making sure the other was happy and they could live the rest of their days in peace._

Brian walked close to his lover as he watched the emotions cross his face and he wanted to pull Dom into his chest and let him cry but he couldn't. He was feeling the same pain that Dom was feeling except he had minor closure with his phone call. He was glad his phone survived the explosion but he hoped that Dom met someone that would help him heal and find his zest for living again. He didn't want to watch his lover waste away to nothing as Brian felt Dom had some more to offer life at the moment.

Dom looked out at the sea. It was a mistake as the water always reminded him of Brian. It was stupid and he could always blame his grief, but he could swear that Brian was close. Maybe the alcohol had got to him, but no there was a feeling on the wind. It was the best way to explain it, "I fucking miss you Bri."

Brian's heart broke, it wasn't the fact it was he was dead, but the Dom was in pain. The last thing that he wanted to do was cause him pain. "I love you Dom. Now and Forever."

Dom would not pretend that he didn't hear something. It wasn't closure, the news and grief was too fresh. Still he did love Brian even if it was for a short time and he would again in the future. Right now he just had to live life ten seconds at time until he felt like he could breathe again without it hurting.

~~FIN~~


End file.
